When you begin teaching it becomes blatantly clear, if you already didn't guess this, that each student in your class has their own unique personalities, quirks, and charm. This is one of the many reasons educators continue to be motivated to teach amid the generally long, tiring hours and relatively low pay. Each student is a window into a new life that is emerging in the world.

When I began teaching in Korea, I was worried that these Korean kids would be hard to understand, or that our cultures might clash and many other unfounded concerns of a new teacher trying to grasp at the source of the nerves I was feeling. Would I be able to remember their names? Would I make a cultural mistake and upset the children or parents? Would I be talking to a wall all day because they don't understand me? Etc...

What I found was that these students were kids, just like kids anywhere. They laughed at funny faces, they cried when they fell down, they were curious about the world. When we talk about CLD students getting what they need from school, I believe, we could be talking about any child. A student that is learning a second language is a student learning, just like any other student. There are different approaches to teaching, but when we get down to it, we are teaching to children. Whether they are from a different culture, language, or just a different wavelength, each child needs to be paid attention to and given some effort to best meet their needs for learning. This is where differentiation comes in.

What I have learned in this class is akin to digging deeper into the hole I've been sitting in. Since day one, I have been attempting to meet my students half way. "How will they learn this information or idea?" is a question I have had constantly clanging around in my skull everyday, I just hadn't labeled it yet. Differentiation is the ability to appreciate the differences of each child and adjust the class accordingly to meet the needs of all the students in your class.

I have been trying before, but studying the different methods in this course has given me more of a Rosetta Stone for these methods than I had before. I am able to think about my methods more clearly and understand why they work and how they can be implemented in more depth. For example, I have been trying to teach my kids to think about their learning, but now that I have learned more about the Cognitive Method I can streamline and redesign my lessons to better suit the nature of my class and the kids by better understanding the basis of how the kids learn metacognition. This is still a growing process for me, but I can already see the seedlings beginning to reach for the sky in my lessons. As I internalize these ideas more and utilize them more and more I will become a stronger, more effective teacher. And, I hope, my students will benefit even more.

As I continue to adjust and find my way through the forest, I realize that that initial spark I saw in the eyes of the curious students on my first day is still twinkling in my eyes and leading me forever onward, always being cautious not to extinguish that spark of curiosity in my eye or the eyes of my students.

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King jr.)

Woman on the Bus

A woman looks at her phone on a bus in downtown Seoul, 2015

Seoul Protest 2015

People from around 120 unions and groups organized the protests on Saturday, December 5th, that saw thousands marching through downtown Seoul. Many people carried signs that said roughly "listen to the people" as they feel the current government is not working for the people but for the Chaebol (large corporations).

Mask Dance

Thousands took to the streets to protest several government plans in Seoul on Saturday, December 5th. They were told not to wear masks because of the "threat of ISIS". The protesters responded by wearing thousands of masks, some dancing traditional samulnori along the way.

Shoulder View

Getting a better view of the traditional Korean dancing at the Bupyeong Festival, this girl sits on dad's shoulders.

Angled Emotion

A man picks up recycling in the city while a little girl pouts in the doorway behind him.

Framing the Street

Tucked into an alley in northern Seoul, graffiti hides as people walk past.

The Clown

A performer prepares to entertain children on Children's Day at Children's Grand Park in Seoul.

Yellow Dust Love

A couple gets intimate during yellow dust season in Myeongdong. "Yellow Dust" is the polluted air that drifts from the Gobi Desert, picking up coal pollution over the cities of China, to Korea.

Rock Reflection

Cape Disappointment, Washington

Launch Pad to the Universe

The Milky Way jetting up from the peaks at Colonial in the North Cascades, Washington

Watercolor Sky

The colors of sunset above Eastern Jeju Island, South Korea

The Race

Two shooting stars race across the night sky at Liberty Bell Peak, Washington

Mt. St. Helens

From Johnston Ridge

The Girl with the Mask

"Park Geun Hye resign" is written across her mask. She speaks loudly without noise in the crowd f nearly a million protesting the president of South Korea on 11/12

Monk in the Front

A million people took to the streets on 11/12 to protest the president in one of the largest protests in Korean history. Many religious leaders joined together to hold signs that read "Park Geun Hye resign"

Man with Candle

One of a million protesting the president of South Korea on 11/12, holding a candle for the vigil and marching to show his support of the president stepping down.

Helping Hands

These girls help this man light his candle as night falls over approximately a million people in the streets of downtown Seoul on 11/12.

Anti-Government DJ Spinning

A DJ spins music for the crowd of protesters on 11/12 as they march against the president of Korea.

A Family Marches

A family marches with candles during the protest on 11/12 that saw a million people spill into the streets of downtown Seoul.

Flying

Flying on the shoulders of her father, this girl had a VIP view of the million person protest against the president on 11/12

Spectacle

Overlooking the crowd in the square, a man surveys the scene. Lights, musicians, food stalls, and a million people peacefully protesting the president and chanting in waves, "Park Geun Hye resign".

Tiring Protest

A little girl yawns on her father's shoulders late into the night as they continue to march against the president.